AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4077, 21 February 1894, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Saturday, February 3. SERIOUS ENCOUNTER WITH BURGLARS.

The armed burglar is beeomincr a serious menace to the Australian police, and it is not surprising to learn that as the result of • sensational encounter that five Sydney policemen had with three ruffianly criminals the Melbourne example of fully arming policemen while on night duty is to be followed. The details of the affair referred to are as follow:— In the early hours of Friday morning Senior-constables M 'Court and Ball whilst on duty in Bridge street saw three men make their exit from the Union Steam Ship Company's premises. The suspicions of the officers being aroused, they at once followed and quickly overtook the burglars, one of whom suddenly turned, and with a heavy jemmy struck M'Court a stunning blow on the head, felling him senseless to the ground. He next aimed a blow at Ball, but the latter luckily avoided it. The men then took to their heels, pursued by Ball, who was shouting for help. In response to his cries Constable Lyons, who was on duty at the Lands Office, corner of Loftus street, tried to intercept the runaways, but -was knocked over with a jemmy, the blow from which broke his forearm, put up to guard his head. Ball still kept up the chase along Bent street, but before going much further one of the pursued turned on him, and, drawing a revolver, threatened to shoot him. The burglar, however, thought better of it, and resumed his flight. Constable Bowden, stationed at the Colonial Secretary's Office, next appeared on the scene, but before he could render any assistance he was knocked down, and left with a fractured skull. A number of cabmen gathered at the corner of Bent street caused the fugitives to turn along Young street, Ball still following them. At the junction of Young and Phillip streets Constables Taylor and Alford were encountered, and they too were ,disabled by blows on the head from a jemmy. About this time the third man left his two companions, and apparently got away into the Domain, as he was not again seen. The other two burglars kept on at a smart run down Phillip street, in which the Water Police Court is situated. The officers on duty there had been put on the alert by Ball's warning cries of "Police," and as the fugitives came tearing down the street Senior-constable Scott and Constables Daniel, M'Cracken, and Chapel turned out. Scott attacked the taller of the two burglars, who again tried to use a revolver, but it was wrested from him. A desperate struggle followed before the two men could be overpowered and dragged into the police station. On being examined each was found to be carrying an inah think jemmy 3ft long, and a revolver loaded in five chambers was found on the bigger man, who had used his iron bar so effectively. A number of penknife blades formed into small saws and a' " masterpiece," the burglar's instrument for opening locks, were found in their pockets. When the burglars had been locked up attention was given to the wounded constables, who were removed to the hospital. Bowden was found to be suffering from a deep wound above the left ear, which had fractured the skulL He also has a wound 3in long above the left eye, which has laid the skull bare. Lyons had received a serious scalp wound, and had his left forearm fractured. Taylor has a wound at the back of the head 2in long and an abrasion of the nose. Alford has a wound on the head 4i& long, extending to the bone ; and M'Court a wound 2in long on the forehead. Ball escaped with a few bruises. Bowden lies in a very serious condition in the hospital. Dr Maitland performed an operation on him, removing a piece of fractured bone.

It is interesting to note the careers of the two men under arrest. Montgomery is identified as Thomas Nullidge alias Millidge, a notorious Melbourne criminal, who has on many occasions figured prominently in Victorian criminal records. Millidge a native of Melbourne, where he was born in 1863. He is, therefore, thirty years of age. He commenced his criminal career in 1876, at the early age of thirteen. For his first offence, one of a petty nature, he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. In the following year he got three months, also for a minor offence, and during the same year, because of his association with wellknown thieves and the suspicion that he formed one of a gang of burglars who eluded capture by the police for the offences of burglary, he was arrested on a charge of being a rogue and vagabond, and was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. After his discharge from gaol he continued to connect himself with the criminal class, and on the charge of being a rogue and vagabond he was again sent to gaol for a further .period of eighteen months. , For resisting the police and vagrancy other terms of confinement were imposed upon him in 1880 and 1881, and hi 1882 he left Melbourne and went to the country districts. In Mary- 1 borough the police caught him in the act of larceny, for which he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and in Inglewood for being illegally on certain premises and for stealing money he was returned to gaol for twelve months on each charge. In 1885 Millidge was one of the armed gang who made the notorious attack on the manager of the Simpson road Bank, and for his share in that outrage he was sent to Pentridge for six years. He was discharged from gaol on the 12th September, 1890. Williams is also passing under an alias. His right name is believed to be Thomas Carroll alias Robert Clarke. Carroll is a Victorian native, born in 1866. He fell into the hands of the police first in 1883 at Carlton for small offences, such as insulting behaviour, assault, and petty larceny; he continued to appear in the courts till, 1891, when he was sentenced to three years, with terms of solitary confinement, for shopbreaking. He was discharged from Pentridge on the 6th July, 1893. Both men were known to the Melbourne detectives as determined and resourceful criminals, and they were credited with being particularly expert burglars and safe-breakers. They are supposed to belong to a gang of Melbourne criminals who went to Sydney three weeks ago, because after the robberies at the houses of Mr Barney Allen, Mr Levy, and Mr Thompson the detectives were becoming too vigilant to permit of much successful work being done in the way of burglary.

A NEW RUSSIAN CONSUL.

The appointment of M.. Alexis Pontiata, a Russian diplomatist, to succeed Mr J. Damyon as consular representative of Russia in Melbourne has caused some speculation as to what is involved in the change. The 'Argus' suggests the appointment may be taken as an indication that the Foreign Office in St. Petersburg is desirous of adding to the knowledge it already possesses of the chief ports and harbors of Australia. In an interview with an 'Age' representative, however, M. Pontiata disclaims that his selection for the post of consul- ' general has any political significance. *My mission," he remarked, in the course of conversation with the ' Age ' representative, "is to gather information as to the possibilities of trade between these colonies and Russia, but I intend to be in a sense an Australian colonist, just as Mr Damyou is. I have been ordered to write information about this and the other Australian colonies, * and I hope to do some travelling in these parts. One of the first things I mean to do is to get my country to send exhibits of its products and manufactures to the Tasmanian Exhibition. I shall go there and also to South Australia ; but jt am afraid we won't

be able to do much business with Adelaide. The chief product of South Australia is, as you know, wheat, and we ourselves grow as a rule plenty of that. I believe, however, that Queensland can send us a good few things and Victoria also, and I fancy that this colony should be the headquarters of any business that maybe developed. We receive wool from you now, but only indirectly. The first purchasers of what comes to us are not Russians, but Englishmen and Germans, and these middle-men make the material rather expensive, so one of my aims will be to establish a direct trade. It is true that we have a large tract of wool-growing country in Southern Russia, but it is a long way from our manufacturing centres in the north, from St. Petersburg and Moscow. Immense distances lie between these provinces, and the cost of land carriage is so great that I am sure wool can be transported from Australia to Northern Russia cheaper than from our southern provinces.

" What can we send here in exchange for wool ? Well, kerosene, for one thing, and we are manufacturing small engines for use in mines, the motive power of which is produced by the burning of kerosene, and I consider that these should become very popular in your mining districts. Next year we are to have a great exhibition at Nijni-Noygorod, in the centre of Russia. It is a big place, and they have a famous fair there every year; but next year the fair will develop into an international exhibition. To that display you Australians should send samples of your products and of what you can do in manufactures. I will be glad if you will explain to your readers that I am here only to look after the interests of my fellow-countrymen in the colony of Victoria, and to promote as far as 1 can commerce between Russia.and Australia. It will be my business to inquire into and Btudy the affairs of your colonies, and to smooth the way for a beneficial trade.

" Yes, I am aware that you regard Russia as a natural enemy, but there is no ground for that belief. The messages the Australian Press receive by cable as to the likelihood of an outbreak of war in which Russia and England would be belligerents are to me incredible and amazing. I would always be flad of an opportunity to explain them away, n Russia no one speaks of war. There is a great feeling there that it is necessary to take measures for self-defence, but there is no aggressive spirit. , The Triple Alliance even is not objected to. We only take exception to the pui'pose for which Germany, Austria, and Italy have combined. The alliance is admittedly hostile to us, and we have to take measures to defend ourselves in case of attack. The object of the measures we have taken has simply been to secure a European equilibrium. We have no alliance with France, but are on terms of great friendship with that nation, and we are satisfied with that arrangement. This friendship is sufficient to establish the equilibrium I speak of, and I believe that peace will consequently reign. We are a civilised nation, and cannot see why civilised nations should fight each other, as their interests lie in the same direction. The feeling engendered in Russia by the Crimean war has entirely died out, our grievances having been remedied. The most offensive paragraph in the Parisian treaty— that denying us the right to have ships of war on the Black Sea — has been abolished. It is true that we are not allowed to sail our Black Sea Navy through the Bosphorus into the Mediterranean, but we are not debarred from defending ourselves in that direction. Consequently you hear of Russia negotiating for a Mediterranean port. We will get such a harbor, but it will be a Greek and not a French one.

"Approaching your borders in Asia? Yes, that is true, but India is not our aim. We cannot take India, because we are not able to, even if we wanted it. India is an enormous country, with 240,000,000 inhabitants, and we are not prepared to deal with them in a hostile fashion. Certainly we are advancing in Central Asia, but that is only because we are obliged to. What is Central Asia ? It is only a conglomeration of many little tribes, ruled by half- savage chiefs, who make encroachments in our districts, and in punishing them we have to make a display of military force. This does not mean an advance against England. On the contrary, we have recently agreed with England as to the drawing of a line of demarcation or frontier line. The recent British mission to Cabul was never criticised in the Russian Press. It never excited any felling in Russia. If England does not attack us we will never attack her."

A CASE OF MALPRACTICE.

The surroundings attending the sudden death of an unmarried woman named Elizabeth Lucy Coade, which took place at the Women's Hospital, were elicited at a recent Melbourne inquest. The deceased, who was described as a dressmaker, had resided with her mother at Inverleigh, near Geelong. She cultivated the acquaintance of a traveller lor a Geelong drapery firm named Connor, and an intimate relationship ensued. In December last the woman arrived in Melbourne with the object of undergoing an illegal operation. Her attention had been attracted by an advertisement purporting to be inserted by a Mrs Wirth, of this city. A consultation took place, and she was provided, through Wirth's agency, with accommodation at a house occupied by Green and his wife in York street, North Fitzroy. It was alleged that during her brief stay at the above address an illegal operation was performed. Her condition grew so alarming that medical aid was summoned, and her removal to the Women's Hospital recommended. She was admitted to the institution in a state of collapse, and shortly afterwards died, it was alleged, from the effects of the operation. Green, who represented that he held the diploma of a chemist, and his wife, to whom he stated he has been married only a month, were committed for trial. Connor and Wirth, otherwise Dickenson, who described himself as being a herbalist, but formerly a cab-driver, were similarly dealt with as accessories before the fact.

One of the witnesses examined was Dr Manly, of Beeac, who said that Connor had asked him on several occasions to perform i an operation upon Miss Coade, for which he offered a substantial cheque. Witness refused, and advised him to have nothing to do with such a thing. The following letter was in the handwriting of Connor : — Carlton Club Hotel, Carlton, Melbourne, January 18, 1894. Dear Meredith,— How different things are with me to-day. Oh ! what a few days have brought forth! lam a wretched man for the remainder of my miserable life. To think of poor, dear Lizzie's death, and all through me. I'll never have another happy day. Oh, who could have thought of it coming to this. Curse me, for a despicable villain that I have been to that poor girl. God only knows the pangs of my sorrowful Heart. I think -11l go mad before the week's out. When I think she is gone for ever, yes, for ever ! I have kissed her dear, cold clay for the last. Oh, what a terrible countenance! If I live God's curse will rest upon me. Oh, poor, dear Lizzie ; how could I have brought this upon her? It's terrible, terrible ! She, poor darling, has paid the death penalty for her sins. I am paying the living penalty. Of all the cursed living scamps that ever lived I am the worst, to think that I should have done what I have. Really the gallows is the Tight place for me If I had only seen her before she died, just to gay good-bye ! She told the nurse to say she didn't blame me, and to give me her love. Oh, Meredith, how could I ever be happy again. This ought to be a lesson for everyone. And her poor, suffering mother, if s heartrending to see her. Hell itself is not hot enough for such a dastardly, despicable scoundrel as I have been. I could wish to-day I I was in the grave beside her. I don't know what to do, where to go, or anything. I don't think I'll ever get over it. She was as good agirl as ever lived, poor, dear, darling

Lizzie. I hope you or Mrs Meredith won't think less of her. I hope you will never think harshly of her. If ever you should feel inclined to do so, let your feelings revert to me. I'll go mad, lam sure. The strain is too intense. If ever you go to your knees for anyone, let it be for your aunt (Mrs Erlund) in her trouble. This is from my very heart. I am not given to cant. I don't know what to do. I have nothing to do but hang about here till this day week, at least. I have thought of going to Cslac just for a change. If Ido I would like to see you. I would like to tell you all. Oh, Meredith, what a sorry sight I am !— l am, yours truly, R. J M. Connor.